Carrier carton



Dec, 29, 1953 c. L. cHAMPLlN ET AL 2,664,235

CARRIER CARTON Filed Deo. 1l. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l o 9 Y Fg. A a

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ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1953 c. L. cHAMPLlN ET AL 2,664,235

' CARRIER CARTON Filed Dec. 1l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY PatentedDec. 29, 1953 CARRIER CARTON Charles L. Champlin, Ransom C. Ellsworth,and Robert J. Hickin, Rittman, Ohio, assignors to The Ohio BoxboardCompany, Rittman, Ohio,

a, corporation of Ohio Application December 11, 1951, Serial No. 260,994

5 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to carrier cartons, andparticularly to such cartons for packaging and transporting salableunits of a predetermined number of bottles of beverages such as beer.

One object of the invention is to provide a carrier carton which may beshipped to the user in flat-folded condition, to thus economize inshipping space, and is capable of being erected to set-up, usablecondition by automatic machines which may form a part of a production orpackaging line installation such as would, for reasons of economy, bemandatory in a large bottling plant of the type employed for bottling atthe source as is customary at breweries. A carton of the type providedby the invention therefore has advantages of facility and economy inhandling for packaging over somewhat similar cartons which requiremanual setting-up operations.

A paperboard carton for bottled goods must have a strong bottom and astrong handle, and it must also provide a cellular structure by whichthe bottles are protected against breakage. In fact, shippingregulations covering the transportation by common carriers of bottlessuch as are used for beer require that the separators forming such cellsmust have a thickness of not less than 40 points .040"). Carrier cartonsproduced in accordance with the present inven tion meet this requirementand also provide for the requisite strength of bottom and handle memberwhile at the same time effecting an economy in material.

Moreover, due to certain structural refinements of the carton of theinvention, its erection to set-up condition for use is greatlyfacilitated and its adaptability to automatic, machine erection forpackaging line production is enhanced, all as will be explainedhereinafter more fully and iinally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating thel invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Fig. l is a plan View of the blank for forming the body and longitudinalpartition member of the carton in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view oi the blank for the transverse partition memberof the carton,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the body blank of Fig. 1 folded and secured inflat-folded tubular condition, l

Fig. Li is a plan view of the carton body squared up from the conditionshown in Fig. 3, and with its parts in position to be erected to set-upcondition,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the transverse partition member (Fig. 2)in set-up condition,

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the carton body as shown squared-up inFig. 4, and showing the transverse partition member (Fig. 5) in oneapproved mode of association therewith to cornplete the assembly of theelements of the carton for erection to set-up, usable condition,

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6, but showing another approved mode ofassociation of the transverse partition member with the body,

Fig. 8 is an end view showing the associated parts of the carton inpartially erected condition,

Fig. 9 is an end View showing the carton fully set up,

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the carton in fully set-up condition,

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the carton in fully set-up condition, and

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional elevation of the set up carton takenon the line l-i of Fig. 10, the association of bottles therewith beingshown in broken lines.

Having reference particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that theunitary body with longitudinal partition member of the carton of theinvention is formed from an integral paperboard blank having appropriatecuts and folding scores delining a bottom wall l bounded at its sideedges by the folding scores 2 and 3 and at its end edges by the foldingscores 4 and 5. Olistanding from the side edges of the bottom wall i areside walls verse folding scores 9, 9.

6 and l defined by the longitudinal folding scores 2 and 3 andtransverse folding scores d, 8 and 9, 9 in substantially directalignment with the end edge scores i and 5, respectively, of the bot#tom wall.

Joined to the side walls t and l on their end edges at the transversefolding scores 8, S are end Wall members It and H each of substantiallyone-half the full width of the set-up carton end walls, and similar endwall members i2 and t3 are joined to the opposite end edges of the sldeWalls and 1, respectively, at their trans- Connected to the pairs of endWall members lli, H and l2, i3 on folding scores Ill, I4 and I5, I5,respectively, are collapsibly foldable web members i6, il, respectively,which are also connected with the end edges of the bottom Wall upon thefolding scores fl and 5, respectively, and these web members arefurnished with diagonal, or gusset, folding scores I3 and I9,respectively.

Connected with the free edges of the end wall members I0 and H definedby the foldingscores 2d and 2i, respectively, are longitudinal partitionmembers 22 and 23 adapted, when the carton is erected, to lie inface-tc-face contact, and these partition members are provided,respectively, with pairs of mating, complemental slits 2d having specialcharacteristics hereinafter pointed out. These partition members arealso provided, respectively, with mating, complemental hand holes 2%furnished with conventional bendable naps 26 which provide a suitablehandle bearing or grip. One of the partition members, the member 23 asshown, carries at its outer (upper) edge a securing flap 2 bendable uponthe folding score 28.

yThe end wall members i2 and I3 at the opposite edges of the side wallmembers 5 and l are provided at their free edges with attaching flaps 2Sbendable upon folding scores Bil.

The transverse partition member, Figs. 2 and 5, comprises a blank ofpaperboard material of a width substantially equal to the width of thebottom wall of the body and provided with transverse folding scores 3ispaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the slits2li of the longitudinal partition members 22, 23, to provide U-legs 32and a connection 33 between these legs. It will be noted, here, that theU-legs are of a height sufficient to completely separate the bodies ofthe packaged bottles (Fig. l2) up to their neck portions, and that theslits 2li in the longitudinal partition members extend outwardly(upwardly) from the inner edges of such partition members a distance atleast equal to the height of such U-legs. rlChus, in assembling anderecting the carton, effective cooperation and association of the twopartition members can be obtained without any customary complementalpartial slitting of the U-legs of the transverse partition member,whereby support is provided in accordance with the invention for thefull height of the U-legs and automatic, mechanical assembly anderection of the carton is facilitated.

As delivered to the carton user or customer, for example a brewer orbottler, the body blank is folded upon the folding scores Si), 36 tobring the naps 2e flat against the inner surfaces of the end wallmembers i2 and I3, and adhesive is preferably applied to the exposedsurfaces of these flaps, and it is also folded upon the folding scores8, 8 so that the thus folded parts of the blank will be in juxtapositionand the free edges of the longitudinal partition members 22, 23 willoverlie and be adhesively secured to the flaps 29 to assemble the cartonbody in flat, tubular form, as shown in Fig. 3. Of course, a pluralityof the flat blanks for the transverse partition members, Fig. 2, will befurnished to conform to the number of carton bodies.

1n the packaging line, whether the cartons are erected by mechanicalmeans or manually, but preferably by mechanical means, the bodies areiirst squared up as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, and the transversepartition members are bent upon their folding scores 3i to the formshown in Fig. 5, and then associated with the squared-up bodies ineither of the modes shown in Figs. 6 and '7, respectively. rlhereafter,as shown in 8, the side walls 6 and l are bent upwardly and inwardlytoward each other until the longitudinal partition members 22 and 23 arebrought into face-to-face contact, the webs it and il meanwhile foldinginwardly upon their diagonal gusset folding scores i8 and i9,respectively, into flatfolded condition against the bottom wall l ad-`jacent to its ends.` Atthe same time, the transy verse partition memberwill be automatically positioned by the engagement of the body sidewalls t and 'l with the lateral edges of its U-legs 2 and the spanningof said legs by the slits 24 in the longitudinal partition members. Itwill be noted, moreover, that when the lateral partition member ispre-arranged as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the erecting folding oi the bodywill cause the connection 33 of the lateral partition member to strikeagainst that portion of the opposite longitudinal partition member 22which lies between the slits 2li, but this portion will readily bedistorted to permit the connection 33 to engage the bottom wall l.

After the body and lateral partition member have been thus assembled anderected, the flap 2l on the longitudinal partition member 23 will befolded down against the outer face of the mating longitudinal partitionmember 22 (Figs. 10, l1 and 12) and these parts preferably rigidlyconnected as by adhesive or stitches or staples Bil, Fig. 10. Thisarrangement of parts provides a triple thickness above the mating handholes E5 and their iiaps 2d and thus furnishes an exceptionally stronghandle as is desired. Also, when the flaps are bent through the handholes in the conventional manner, as shown in Figs. ll and 12,additional rigidity and strength are imparted to the handle.

As hereinbefore stated, regulations reduire that there be a thickness ofat least if points (.e0) of paperboard in the separators or partitionsbetween bottles, and the carton of the invention satisfies thisrequirement while still providing an economy in paperboard stock. Forexample, the blank of the carton body may be made of paperboard stock of20 point (.O2l caliper, and

vthe transverse partition member of 40 point (1346") caliper, thus notonly furnishing separators or partitions of the required fri) pointthiol:- ness but forming a heavy thickness for the carton bottom inareas where the bottoms of the bottles bear, it being obvious byreference to Fig. 11, that the bottles in the four end cells will restupon the four thicknesses of paperboard provided by the carton bottom iand the triple thickness of the gusset folded web members if and il, andthe bottles in the two center cells will rest upon a double thickness ofpaperboard of at least 6G points caliper provided by the carton bottom iand the connection of the transverse partition member. i

It will be seen, therefore, that lthe invention provides not only for acarton which may be manufactured from relatively light caliper, andhence relatively inexpensive, paperboard, while still meeting allrequirements of structural strength and rigidity and required bottleprotection, but one which will lend itself readily to assembly anderection by automatic machinery.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within theprinciple of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A carrier carton, comprising a body formed from a ps perboard blankprovided with cuts and folding scores defining a bottom wall having sideand end edges, a pair of similar side walls extending from opposite sideedges of said bottom wall, each of said side walls having its end edgeseach provided with an end wall menzber of a width substantially equal toone-half the width of the end edges of the bottom wall, whereby whensaid end wall members are arranged in pairs such pairs will providefull-width end walls, the end wall members of one pair being provided attheir free edges with similar partition members, means for connectingthe free edges of the end wall members of the other pair to the freeedges of said partition members whereby said blank may be assembled intotubular form and may be erected by upward bending of said side wallmembers upon the folding scores defining the side edges of said bottomwall to bring said partition members into face-to-face relation andvertical to said bottom wall to provide a longitudinal partition, and aU -shaped transverse partition member supported by said bottom wall andhaving its U-legs upstanding transversely of said longitudinalpartition, the partition members which together form such longitudinalpartition being provided with mating slits extending from their loweredges upwardly a distance at least equal to the height of said U-legs tothus confine and support said U-legs throughout their height.

2. A carrier carton as claimed in claim 1, in

which the end wall members are connected in pairs to the opposite endedges of the bottomwall by collapsibly oldable web members serving toclose the bottom of the carton at said end edges and to guide thelongitudinal partition forming members during erection of the carton.

3. A carrier carton as claimed in claim 1, in

which said longitudinal partition forming mem- 6V v bers are providedwith complemental mating openings to provide a handle. t

4. A carrier carton as claimed in claim 1, in which one of saidlongitudinal partition forming members is provided with an attachingflap foldable into engagement with the other partitionl forming memberfor attachment thereto to maintain the carton in set-up condition.

5. A carrier carton as claimed in claim 1, in which the U-shapedpartition member may be positioned within the tubularly formed cartonbody prior to erection of said body, and the slits of said longitudinalpartition member will serve 'to clear the said U-legs when the cartonbody is bent to erected condition.

YCHARLES L. CHAMPLIN.

RANsoM c. ELLSWORTH. ROBERT J. HICKIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FonerAiug. 12, 1952

